EXPO 2023: A Resounding Success!
To say the 37th Forest Products Machinery & Equipment EXPO in Nashville last month was a great time is an understatement.
After six shows in Atlanta dating back to 2011, SFPA, which hosts the biennial event, moved the show to the Music City Center in Nashville. Based on conversations at the show, comments on social media, and early survey reports, the move exceeded all expectations from long-time and first-time exhibitors and attendees.
I’m especially thankful for the SFPA Board of Directors and their support that helped facilitate the move to Nashville. Moreover, I’m so proud of the SFPA Staff Alaina, Christian, Rachel, and Linda for their dedication, enthusiasm, and attention to detail. Each of them was instrumental in making EXPO 2023 a noteworthy experience!
It was great to see so many members of the forest products industry in attendance to be a part of this historic moment. I’m extremely proud of the exhibiting companies that helped transform the exhibit hall into a first-rate networking space. As we begin planning for EXPO 2025, we want your thoughts on EXPO 2023. So, if you haven’t already responded to the post-event survey, please send us an email and we’ll forward you the link. We’ll review the results at the Expo Advisory Committee Meeting later this year.
The exhibit hall filled 58,337 square feet of machinery, innovation, and solutions to meet a registered attendance of more than 1,200 attendees; while the final floorplan topped out at 217 exhibiting companies. The last time EXPO attracted that many exhibiting companies was in 2007 when forest harvesting equipment was on display.
Click here to read our full recap of EXPO 2023, and stay tuned to SFPAexpo.com for future host city and dates to be announced in the coming weeks. Exhibit space sales for the 38th Forest Products Machinery & Equipment EXPO are scheduled to open in May 2024.
Couldn’t make EXPO this year? Check out this great first-person perspective of the excitement!
SFPA Continues to Grow!
I’m always excited to welcome a new member, and we’re keeping that streak alive by welcoming six new organizations to the Southern Forest Products Association since my August letter! Meet them here:
- B. H. Payne & Co.
- FROMM Packaging Systems
- Opticom Technologies
- SANY America
- Stein Lumber
- Taproot Investments
SFPA members are visionary industry leaders who understand the power of working together and operating as a collective to offer and benefit from a broad range of programs and networking opportunities. The connections forged through SFPA activities are driving significant growth for the southern pine industry.
Do you know someone either a lumber manufacturer or company that supports the Southern Pine lumber community who would benefit from SFPA membership as much as you? Send them our way by clicking here.
If they have questions, you can share this new membership brochure with them; however, we’re always happy to talk with them, too!
EU Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR)
As part of the European Union’s efforts to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, the European Parliament and Council formally adopted the European Union (EU) Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR) on June 29, 2023.
Among the biggest concerns in the current EUDR language is the geolocation requirement and the definition of “plot of land” as “within a single real-estate property.”
The SFPA and its international consultants are closely monitoring the EUDR and its requirements to identify how Southern Pine lumber manufacturers can adjust their operations to comply with the new legislation.
SFPA has developed two resources to help you understand this legislation and how it could impact your operations:
In addition to sharing updates on any future changes to EUDR language, SFPA’s concerns are being discussed with like-minded members of the Industry Trade Advisory Center a public-private partnership to help shape trade policy.
Southern Pine Promotion Activities
SFPA is always somewhere in the world promoting the benefits and best use of Southern Pine. We can’t wait to share reports on our most recent events, which included:
- Techno Mueble in Guadalajara, Mexico, from August 16-19
- Southern Pine seminars in the Bahamas and Cayman Islands from September 5-7.
We’ve got a busy fall with the following events coming up:
- VietnamWood Show in Ho Chi Minh City: September 20-23
- Southern Pine seminar in Bangkok, Thailand: October
- Taipei Building & Construction Show in Taipei, Taiwan: December 7-10
We’re also in the process of building our international event schedule for 2024, which could include some new shows, such as the Saudi Expo in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from September 2-4, 2024, so standby!